Nikola’s farewell makes Luka Karabatic’s EHF EURO extra special

At 35, Luka Karabatic has seen it all in handball. All? Playing an EHF EURO opener in a football stadium in front of 55,000 spectators?

“This will be a first-time experience for me, and I’m really looking forward to it,” said the France captain, who will lead his team onto the court in the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf for their preliminary round game against North Macedonia on 10 January.

“I think it’s a great idea, it gives a really cool image of our sport, especially since I heard the stadium will be almost sold-out. I know France did it in Lille at the 2017 World Championship, but I was not there so I’m really excited now.”

When the French national team gathered last November, it not only marked the start of their preparations for the Men’s EHF EURO 2024. There will be many special occasions until next summer, highlighted by the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, but the EHF EURO is also at the top of Karabatic’s list.

“When you are a competitor, you want to win every competition you are part of. I have only won the EHF EURO once and that was 10 years ago, so I want to have this feeling again,” Karabatic said.

With all players facing a tough schedule at their clubs ahead of the EHF EURO, France head coach Guillaume Gille gathered almost 30 players in November to launch the special national team season for France.

The team played only one game, against Romania, but the week was intense.

“I found that everyone was really focused on our goals, trying to improve at every training. We enjoyed the fact that we only played one game but had very intense trainings. We all know that the EHF EURO is going to be there really fast,” Karabatic said.

“We saw in the last few competitions that titles were often decided on details. So, the more we work, the more we give ourselves a chance for the details to be on our side.”

Speaking of highlights, Karabatic is aware this is his last national team season playing alongside his brother Nikola, who has announced his retirement at the end of the 2023/24 season.

While playing with Paris Saint-Germain Handball, Nikola has been honoured all around Europe, getting gifts like special jerseys and letters from clubs and fans thanking him for all he has done for handball.

“It must be strange for him, as Niko is not the one to put himself in the spotlight. But in the meantime, all of this is a testament to his importance for handball and what he has done to improve our game,” Luka Karabatic said.

So, in Germany, Luka and Nikola Karabatic are playing their last EHF EURO together.

“Everybody knows what kind of relationship Niko and I have,” Luka Karabatic said. “I don’t think I realise it too much at the moment, I try not to think about it too much. But in the meantime, I try to tell myself to enjoy it as much as I can as I know this is not going to last forever.”

No wonder walking out for the EHF EURO opening game in front of a 50,000-capacity crowd will be even more special for the Karabatic brothers than it already would have been.

photos © Sasa Pahic Szabo / kolektiff; Johnny Fidelin & Huge Pfeiffer/Icon Sport